Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

Da'Quan Bowers had some high expectations to live up to; now he is just not reaching those expectations, he is exceeding them. After a couple of decent, but unspectacular seasons, Bowers is tearing up the Atlantic Coast Conference during his junior campaign at Clemson. During his first two years with the Tigers, Bowers was usually starting, but he only tallied a total of six sacks during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Things changed quickly in 2010. Just six games into the season, Bowers has 37 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks. He is wreaking havoc in the backfield against just about every unfortunate team on the schedule. Clemson is not having a great year, but plenty of people are paying attention to Bowers. The 6-4, 280 pound defensive end is one of the most consistent pass rushers in the nation right now.

Barring an injury or a major drop-off in production, Bowers would be a first round selection in the 2011 draft if he opts to leave a year early. The way things are going, Bowers could very easily lead the nation in tackles-for-loss and sacks and that is an impressive feat to accomplish. Many have Bowers as the top pass rusher on their board and that means, if the right team has the first pick, that Bowers would be in the mix for the first overall pick in the draft. There is a long way to go, but it is hard to find another end with the production and pure skills and talent that Bowers possesses.

1/15 Update: Bowers finished off his senior season with a nation high 15.5 sacks and 26.0 tackles-for-loss, good enough for second in the country. As expected, Bowers declared for the NFL draft after his superb junior season. With quarterback Andrew Luck staying at Stanford, Bowers is one of the few names on Carolina's radar as the first overall pick in the 2011 draft.

3/22 Update: Bowers played through a knee injury during his last season at Clemson. He had surgery after the season and was not able to participate in the NFL combine. At the combine he said he was 100 percent, but Bowers did not participate at Clemson's pro day either. Another pro day was scheduled for April 1st in order to give Bowers some time to prepare. He should still be a top five pick, but that will not be the case if his knee does not check out.

I believe Carolina will have the number 1 pick and opt for Bowers to replace Julius Peppers. Lord knows their defense could use a player like him.

Posted by:
chev99trk 12/09/10 04:24 PM

Prediction: 1st Round

Carolina has the number one pick of this weekend. I think Bowers has to be considered but it comes down to Andrew Luck's decision first and then how the incoming coach feels about Jimmy Clausen second. I think Carolina has to consider trading out of the top spot to acquire more quality picks and improving the overall talent on their roster. If they move back only a few spots a quality DL like Bowers could still be available, at a cheaper price.